the fallen
by worldoffire
Summary: Seven unknown stories—seven jinchuuriki, from their sealings to their deaths.
1. the two tails

There are seven known jinchuuriki we learned little or nothing of outside of name and appearance: Yugito, Yagura, Roshi, Han, Utakata, Fu, and Mito. So, I've decided to do pieces for all of them, following their lives as best I can, from the sealing to their deaths, and most of the between. Expect timeskips, a few years at most. First up: Yugito, the Two Tails. Enjoy. c:

Disclaimer: Don't you think there would've been more on the jinchuuriki if I owned Naruto?

.

.

.

Ni'i Yugito is barely two when she becomes the jinchuuriki of the Two-Tailed Beast. It's the last day of July, a week after her second birthday, when it escapes from the seal that had previously caged it in the last jinchuuriki. Her parents die in the three-day battle against it; that, in part, is why she is chosen. After all, they were her only living relatives, and there was nobody else to fight for her.

It is a day of both mourning and celebration when the seal is complete, trapping the beast inside her, kept in by a black seal across her left shoulder. They mourned for those who had died in the battle; celebrated that it was over, that there was a new jinchuuriki; and, as is normal, began to hate the small, sleeping child that was, to them, the embodiment of the Two-Tails.

.

.

At seven, she has been the host for five years; a solid block of being shunned by the village. She lives in the Raikage's compound, and is trained by experts in ninjutsu and taijutsu; she's unable to do genjutsu due to the Tailed Beast chakra that flows next to hers. She also trains on her own; after all, there is no one to teach her to control the powers of the beast she hosts. The other jinchuuriki are dead, and anyone who might have been able to help is long gone. She is on her own, in many ways.

There are only a few who do not completely avoid her when possible: the Raikage constantly keeps an eye on her and has taught her a few jutsus besides; there's also his adoptive brother, known as Bee. It had taken her a while before she'd finally discovered why he wasn't like the rest of the village; she'd puzzled over it for months before the Two Tails had provided the answer.

"He's like you," it had murmured, awakened from where it normally slumbered in the back of her mind. "He hosts the Eight-Tailed Beast within him."

She'd been amazed on that occasion, for two reasons. She'd never realized that there was another jinchuuriki in the village, and it is nice to know, in a sick, sick way, that someone else shares, at least partly, her pain.

Yugito had also been surprised that the Two Tails had spoken to her. It normally remained dormant, asleep; sometimes, if she could ignore the presence at the back of her mind, she could almost pretend she was normal.

.

.

She is ten when the Two Tails speaks to her again. It had been silent since revealing that Bee was a jinchuuriki as well. She'd been taking a break from training, reading a scroll, when she felt a tapping of sorts in her mind. She'd closed her eyes and focused, and the cat, made of swirling black and blue, had appeared, trapped behind bars of black fire, patterned the same way as her seal was.

"It is time we talked, Yugito." It prowls, back and forth, forward and backward, in the small space behind the bars. "It's been eight long years since I was sealed into you; I feel that it is time you learned more."

She'd been petrified, stuck to the spot; what exactly was it one said in response to that? Thankfully, the cat didn't seem to need any sort of answer.

"I've watched from inside your mind; I see them shun you for being my container, and I feel your pain, though it is duller than what you experience. I watch you struggle to control my chakra, as the others have done before you.

"I can help you with it, if you'll let me."

She's finally found her backbone, however shaky it is. "And what would that entail? I won't let you free."

It laughs, in an odd, demented way. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. I wouldn't need you to set me free; all you need to do is listen."

She considers this for a moment; it would be nice to have a way to control the power. And listening, she supposes, can't hurt. "Alright. Tell me everything you can."

The fire cat smiles.

.

.

At thirteen, she is a jonin already, close to joining Kumogakure's ANBU. What she'd learned from the Two Tails—Matatabi, she remembers—has helped, immensely. She's strong, with the powers of the Two Tails at hand, though she tries not to use it if she doesn't have to. She doesn't want it to become a crutch; Yugito wants to be famous for being her, not just the jinchuuriki of Matatabi.

There's only two times she's really used the powers granted to her: once, when she was ambushed by several missing-nin on her way back from a mission; the other time she'd been in the field, fighting (this was war, after all), bandaging her leg after a particularly draining fight, and an enemy shinobi had come upon her. She'd burned him to a crisp with Matatabi's black flames.

It's satisfying, really, knowing the reputation she held was because of her, not her status as host. Nobody knows she's come to terms with Matatabi, so that's another reason she tries not to use the power; knowing the village, it would most likely start a wave of terror. Best to just keep it silent until necessary.

.

.

When she's eighteen, the war is finally over. Peace has settled; as much as it can, anyways, in a world like this.

She's been a member of the ANBU for four years, now; it's nice having a mask to hide her face, as it helps keep down the general panic when she's seen. It's refreshing, not having people's faces turn stony.

She and Matatabi are still on good terms, too. It's not uncommon for her to hear sarcastic comments in the back of her mind. For instance, there was the day she'd received her ANBU mask—a _cat_, of all things. She's sure it was meant to refer to the demon inside her; it's common knowledge among those old enough to remember the attack that Matatabi is a cat.

The Two Tails had snorted in derision, and she'd ignored it; she hadn't said anything—she was ANBU now, emotionless—but once she'd left, she'd leaned against the side of a building and laughed until she was breathless. Things like that hadn't bothered her for years; she was too used to it to care anymore.

The other memorable time Matatabi had made a comment was when Bee returned from a long-term mission _rapping_, of all things. The cat's laughter had echoed all around her mind, and if she hadn't been on guard duty, she would have joined in happily. It's ludicrous, and she'd have given a lot to see the Raikage's face the first time he'd heard it. She'd heard his reaction, along with the rest of the village—he'd yelled, loud, and attempted to punch Bee; he'd missed, creating a hole in the wall of his office.

She'd not been able to help it—she'd burst out laughing then, sliding down the wall she had leaned against.

.

.

Eleven years later, at twenty-nine, the Akatsuki come for her.

If she's honest, she's expected this. Several other jinchuuriki have fallen to them; they seem to be killing off the jinchuuriki, one by one. She's not sure how, since Tailed Beasts can normally keep their hosts alive, pulling them from the edge of death. She supposes, if she loses, she'll find out.

It's two men, both in black cloaks patterned with red clouds; one is silent, brooding, with a mask covering his face; the other is loud, young, with pale skin and hair, eyes a mix of violet and red, and a pendant swinging about his neck. She leads them to an abandoned sewer, with water still flowing through. She's planned this; there are exploding tags on every entrance, and she activates them the second they're all inside. They're trapped, now.

Her last spoken words are that they will never take her.

.

.

In the end, they do; she'd transformed into Matatabi, just after trapping them, but somehow they had managed to overpower her. She discovers, after, that they aren't simply killing off jinchuuriki; they are extracting the Tailed Beasts, for whatever purpose.

It's a three-day process, giving her plenty of time to think. Her last thought is directed toward Matatabi, whether the cat can hear her or not.

_Thank you, for everything. I'm sorry it ended this way._


	2. the seven tails

I closed my eyes and pointed, and my finger landed on Fu, the Seven Tails, so that's who this one focuses on. A quick update, by the way—I've decided I'll be updating this daily, since a day or so seems to be roughly how long it takes me to plan out and write a chapter. Enjoy. c:

Also, a big thanks to the lovely people who reviewed; you've got no idea how happy it makes me that people liked the first chapter. c: Hope you'll like this one too!

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. This makes me sad.

.

.

.

Fu is newly born, just hours old, when she becomes the host of the Seven-Tailed Beast. The seal that held it trapped within a basket was coming loose; if it wasn't sealed into someone soon, it would break free and destroy their small village. By chance, she was the only child born that day; they take her from her parents, who give her over willingly after hearing the circumstances. It is a matter of life and death, after all; and they will still see her, even though she will then be a jinchuuriki, one of the important people of the village.

The fuuinjutsu master of the village meets them at the main building, the Seven Tails' current container under his arm. He looks at the child, with a fuzz of mint green hair and curious orange eyes, and fights back a stab of pity; this is important, greatly so, and there is no room for emotions.

She stays quiet and still, surprisingly, as he paints the black ink over her small arm; when she is older, grown, it will trace along and around her forearm, with a pattern that almost looks like a vine. Then it is done, and the only thing left is to seal the Seven-Tailed Beast into the child with it. There's a brief burst of malevolent chakra as the lid is lifted before it is subdued, pushed into the seal.

He traps it, and the child remains still. She is alive, having survived the grueling process. Someone will have to name her—her parents still hadn't decided when the village's leader had arrived at their door.

He takes her in his arms, minding the still wet ink, and walks out the door; it is time to return her to her parents. They're good people, he knows, smart; they won't be deterred from raising her even if she does have a demon within her. It will be good for her, to grow up without her own parents hating her for what she merely hosts; she is not a different person for it, nor a demon.

He is shocked to find her home, or what would have been her home, burnt down, with two bodies inside—her parents, he supposes. It seems the hate has already begun; word must have somehow spread, creating terror and fear, and ending with two good people dead and a child orphaned, with no one to care for her.

He decides, then, that he will take her; he doubts anyone will protest it. After all, there aren't many people willing to take in a demon host; he's probably the only one here who would. He'll have to give her a name, though.

Looking down at the sleeping child in his arms, he murmurs her name. "Fu."

.

.

At seven, Fu knows exactly what she is: the host to the Seven-Tailed Beast, or a jinchuuriki, which is the common name. She also knows that it doesn't make her a demon, no matter what the townspeople say; her adoptive father has taught her this over the years, ensuring his adopted daughter would never think she was a demon.

Fu also knows she will be a genin of the Waterfall soon; she's excited beyond belief to finally start learning more than the small pieces her father has taught her. He will be her sensei, too; nobody else would take her on as a student, with her shock of mint hair and orange eyes (odd hair and eye colors run in her family, she's told) and demon seal wrapping around her left arm.

She's not worried about that, though. Fu is perfectly ready to take the villagers' hatred; it doesn't bother her and never has. Besides, she spends most of her time inside, devouring the many books that line the walls of her home. She's always loved to read—books are her escape, transporting her to different places and times, and it's wonderful.

At the moment, she's in the middle of a book about Konoha. She's just at the part about Uzumaki Mito, who was the first jinchuuriki; it was her who invented the process of sealing a Tailed Beast into a person. She had held the Nine Tails, from the age of twenty-three to her death, and been loved and respected even after sealing the beast into herself. She's a hero.

Someday, Fu hopes, she'll be one too.

.

.

Today is the day of her father's funeral; at twelve, she'd been devastated to hear of his death on a mission, stabbed in the back by a kunai while attempting to heal a fallen comrade.

His long, brown hair is brushed, cleaned of the blood that had been in it when his body had arrived; his eyes, crinkled at the edges, are closed. She's glad for that—she doesn't think she could have handled this if his eyes had been open, green and lifeless, empty.

She is the only one there, aside from the ones who will lift the coffin into the grave; everyone else he had known is long dead. She was his only remaining family, and though they hadn't been blood, she'd loved him dearly, and already she feels hollow. A tear rolls down her cheek as she steps forward and touches his hands, folded over his chest. They're like ice, and she resists the urge to vomit.

"Goodbye, Father."

Then she leaves, not wanting to watch the burial itself. She holds the tears in until she arrives at her home, and then she curls on her couch and lets them flow freely.

.

.

The Akatsuki arrive in the village when she is sixteen, leaving a note in the leader's office.

Give us the girl, or you all die.

She learns of this before she is officially told; she'd noticed that tensions were running high, and had decided to figure out why without them discovering. She'd stood in the main office and read the eight words, her body chilling all over. She knew they meant her; after all, who else could they speak of?

Fu knew one thing, after that—she had to give herself up. She didn't want to, not by a long shot, but if it was between her and the village, she knew what came first in her heart. There was nothing left for her, after all; her only family had been her father, and he is four years dead.

So, she writes a note for the village to find, and goes to search out the Akatsuki.

I've given myself up, for the village. Don't try to find me—you'll only die. Take care, and good fortune to you all.

.

.

It is painful, having a Tailed Beast extracted from your body.

It gives her something to focus on other than what could be happening back at home, though, so she embraces it. She doesn't want to think about how they might be celebrating her inevitable demise in so many ways, so instead she thinks only of the pain, her father, the books she's read; it doesn't work, though, and her thoughts always stray back to home. She imagines hundreds of possible scenarios.

What she doesn't ever imagine, though, is that they are mourning the loss of her.

In the end, she is a hero to them for giving herself up for the good of the village. It was one of her few dreams, and they make it come true in honor of her.


	3. the six tails

Utakata today, jinchuuriki of the Six-Tailed Beast. I know there's a anime arc for him; however, I have never watched it and I wanted to do an original history for him, so pretend that one never happened, yes? Enjoy. c:

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own.

.

.

.

He is nine months old, almost exactly so, when they pick him to become the new jinchuuriki. He, quiet Utakata, with the head of dark blue hair and golden-brown eyes.

The Six-Tails is close to breaking free—it will break the container that holds it within mere days—and they need to seal it into a jinchuuriki to make sure of Kirigakure's safety. It was chance that he happened to be the only one young enough of the Third Mizukage's descendants; a mere coincidence that his cousin happened to be just above the usual cutoff age for a sealing, and he was still three months away.

They take him to a room patterned all with seals and guarded by ANBU, safety precautions for the small chance that the Tailed Beast could escape. If all goes well, though, it will not, and by the end of the night there will be a new jinchuuriki to harness the power of a Tailed Beast.

All does not go well.

The beast manages to escape, somehow; nobody is exactly sure. It kills many in its rampage, including Utakata's family. The one who pauses the Tailed Beast in its tracks is the Fourth Mizukage, harnessing the power of his own beast to fight it. It doesn't last long after he arrives; the Fourth is strong even without the power of the Three Tails, and with it, he is near unstoppable, invincible. He defeats it, and then he is the one to secure it into the seal around Utakata's left ankle.

As he does, he whispers ten words to Utakata. "Do not be afraid. Be strong, for all of us."

.

.

At seven, he is the target of rage and hatred, attacks and harsh words; they affect him, though not as the villagers hope. Instead of cowing him, making him afraid to face them, it inspires him to grow stronger each day and, eventually, end their hatred. He trains madly—without the Academy to hold him back, he is nearing chuunin level already, even at his young age.

He lives at the Mizukage's compound, training under experts and, occasionally, the Kage himself. That is how he learns to control the Tailed Beast's power; after all, the Mizukage is one too, and has been for years. He shows him to keep the immense chakra under control, preventing the Six Tails from escaping as he trains.

He learns ninjutsu, primarily; genjutsu doesn't interest him and he is frailer than a taijutsu user should be. He does, however, turn out to be proficient with both a sword and fuuinjutsu; one of the Swordsmen teaches him to use the blade to the fullest, while he studies from scrolls on the subject of sealing. The Kage teaches him when he can; being a jinchuuriki, he'd learned the basics of seals to help keep his from coming apart. Utakata supposes, if he ever needs to reinforce his, the knowledge will come in handy.

.

.

At thirteen, he has already reached jonin level; he's well known, both in Kirigakure and the other villages. The Tailed Beast has, surprisingly, remained dormant; according to the Mizukage, they normally speak to their jinchuuriki for at least a few seconds before this age, at least in his experience and what he's heard of others.

Utakata wonders if it means that the Six Tails doesn't see him as worthy; or, perhaps, if it is simply late in speaking. He hopes it is the second one.

It turns out to be only a week from the Kage telling him that the Six Tails should have spoken when he hears a voice, deep in his mind. At first, he thinks he's insane. Then he realizes that it is the Six-Tailed Beast, revealing itself at last. He closes his eyes, retreating into his mind as Yagura had taught him; it's almost like meditation, calming and peaceful.

"Twelve years; that is how long we've been stuck with each other. I do wonder, Utakata, why haven't you attempted to talk to me before?" The Six Tails moves in every direction, behind a wall of sorts; it's a shining mass of ink in the same pattern as his seal.

"I didn't know I could. I was under the impression that I was to wait for you to speak first."

"While that is the case, normally, I prefer to wait for my host to contact me, unless I must force it." It comes closer to the bars, giving Utakata his first good look at the beast; it's a slug, he thinks.

"Of course, a silent Tailed Beast. Interesting. Why do we need to talk, incidentally?"

There's an odd sound; he thinks it might be laughter. "Haven't you realized? Or, at least, sensed him somehow? There's someone controlling your Mizukage, and he'll be going for you next; I'd rather not have my power under the control of someone like that man, so I need you to do something."

"What am I supposes to do—kill whoever it is? If they're strong enough to manipulate the Kage, I'm certainly no match for them."

"No, you're not; I'm glad you realize that. I simply need you to drop a subtle hint to someone. He'll be able to handle it, from what I know."

He considers this; there's no harm in passing along a hint, certainly. "Alright. Who do I need to speak with?"

"You won't be talking to them directly; I'll have you just leave a note, keep any suspicion from falling on you. Now, here is how we'll do it.."

The Six Tails launches into a lengthy description of their plan. Utakata smiles; it's actually rather nice, not being alone for once.

.

.

When he's nineteen, there's a new Mizukage; she's only been around for a year or so, even though the Fourth resigned years ago. He'd had his Tailed Beast extracted after learning that someone was controlling him through it. The village had been in shambles following that, only settling down when Terumi Mei was appointed.

He's still a jonin, though a high level one, now; he's been put on the Mizukage's rotating guard, and does missions the rest of the time.

The Six Tails has spoken to him a lot in the last six years; for instance, he's learned the name it had been given when the Sage created them—it's Saiken. He's also discovered that he can use the power sealed within him, though he adamantly refuses to; he doesn't want to chance it getting out of control.

Once the Akatsuki come for him, though, on his way back from a mission, he wishes that he'd learned to use at least a small amount of it. Possibly, it could have saved him from needing to transform fully, letting Saiken try to fight; and the pair of them ultimately being defeated.

.

.

His last thoughts, at the tail end of the painful three-day long process, are directed at Saiken.

_Thank you, for being my friend._


	4. the nine tails

Wow, this chapter has taken a while. Sorry for the late post; I've been stuck on this the last day and a half. I think I wrote chapter beginnings for two other jinchuuriki before finally deciding on Uzumaki Mito, the first jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast. Enjoy. c:

.

.

.

Uzumaki Mito is five when she first begins to learn fuuinjutsu, better known as the art of sealing. It is the specialty of her clan, and every member knows the basics of it, whether they use it constantly or not. It is a language in its own, and it is complicated to learn, every little swirl and symbol that means something different; that is why they start young, even for their clan, the members of which constantly live to nearly two hundred years, assuming they are a full-blood Uzumaki, and still to nearly one hundred and twenty for only a partial clan member.

She is excited to learn, utterly so, especially after having seen her father blow away everything in a ten-foot radius using one, activated by a hand seal instead of a burst of chakra, to keep himself from being destroyed as well. Someday, she'll create her own as her father does; first, though, she has to learn the language, the basics—how to hold the brush right, to make sure there are no mistakes whatsoever; the parts of a seal, what there should always be; and, of course, how to make sure that she will not kill herself or someone else with one unintentionally.

Her father sits her down, with a pot of ink, a fine tipped brush, a scroll on sealing, and a piece of paper, and tells her, "I want you to practice the first seal on this scroll. It's a simple one, only meant to seal away a small object, such as a kunai. Come get me once you think you've done it right." She nods, and starts to work; he stands over her small, red-headed form for a moment, watching, and then walks off.

.

.

At ten, she is still learning the art of sealing. She's proficient in the basics now, though, and has moved on to more complicated ones, such as the damaging seal her father invented, and one to seal away near infinite amounts of chakra. It's a challenge, a great one; she has to make sure that there are no mistakes, just as with the smaller seals, though it is more important for these to be perfect. If they are done wrong, they could easily kill someone, probably her. That is why every morning after she's eaten, she collects her supplies, sits at the table, and practices sealing for several hours. She's coming along nicely, her father says.

It had originally looked as if she would be hopeless at sealing; she'd not even been able to get the simplest of them down. She'd been frustrated, incredibly so, until one day, in a last hope at getting it right, she'd calmed herself using the meditation skills she'd learned and tried once more. It had been perfect.

Now she knows that to get her seals right, she needs to keep herself calm, no interfering emotions. She's usually able to reach that state without meditation now, but occasionally, after a stress filled day, she does need to calm herself before working. It's nice; she's always been fond of meditation, the calm it brings. Even when it isn't required of her before practicing her seals, she often does it anyways. She's found it helps just a bit, helps her get the seal perfect in one less try. Soon, though, she'll need to meditate every single time—she'll be doing her own original seals in just months, and there will be barely any room for mistakes on those. One wrong symbol and she could be dead, or sucked into that other dimension, or wherever it is objects go when they are sealed away.

She can't wait.

.

.

When she is fifteen, rumors swirl of a new clan head in the Senju, who are distant relatives of theirs and close allies. They tend to move around, as opposed to staying in one place as the Uzumaki do, but they are talented fighters, amazingly so. The new head is said to be young, only a few years older than she herself is; but he is very strong, said to use the plants as he fights. They say he is the reincarnation of the Sage himself, the one who was the first shinobi, who trapped the Ten-Tailed Beast inside himself, and then, when he was dying, split its power into nine and sealed the body into the moon. He is the origin of both the Senju and the Uchiha, the strongest of the clans. It is said to be why they hate each other; because of the two brothers, the sons, and the quarrel they had.

If he is truly the reincarnation of the Sage, Mito thinks she would like to meet him.

She does, and soon; he comes to Uzushiogakure to speak with them, as the new clan head. His brother accompanies him, as a guard for the journey there; not that he needs it, she assumes. She decides he most likely just wanted company, a familiar face in the sea of red hair and pale skin.

While Mito is not present at the official meeting—it is only the Senju head and his brother, as well as the Uzumaki head—she does catch a glimpse of the two of them as they leave the main building. She is waiting for her father, the Uzumaki clan's head; he was supposed to teach her a new seal today. His name is Senju Hashirama, he knows, and his brother is Senju Tobirama; they are both incredibly strong.

Hashirama is tall, taller than most of the clan, with long brown hair and deep green eyes, tanned skin and light muscles. His brother is the opposite; skin so pale it is almost white, with a mass of snowy hair and red eyes. They're fascinating to her, as she'd been surrounded by mostly red hair and only three eye colors—green, gray, and the occasional blue—her whole life.

Mito decides then that she will meet them again, as she would like nothing more at that moment to have a conversation with the possible reincarnation of their ancestor. She thinks it would be interesting, at the least.

.

.

At twenty, she learns she will meet him again; there is a marriage coming up between the Senju and the Uzumaki, and she is involved with it, as is Hashirama. He'll be coming here to meet and collect her, and then they will go with each other back to the village that is just starting to form.

He is a legend, and she honestly thinks that if he is not in fact the Sage reborn, he does have something of the Sage in him. He managed to form a truce, between the Senju and the Uchiha, himself and Uchiha Madara, and there is a village being formed as she awaits his arrival. It will be the first one of its kind—while there have been other shinobi settlements over the years, each of them has only ever hosted one clan. This will have two of the greatest, the Senju and the Uchiha, and already there are rumors spreading that the Hyuuga are in talks to join them, as are several others.

And she, Uzumaki Mito, will get to watch it all happen. She's nervous, yes, but also excited; just as much as she was when she began to learn sealing, so many years ago. She will be leaving her home, but perhaps she will find a new one; it will never be Uzushiogakure, no, but maybe it will be close.

.

.

When she is twenty-five, she has been with Hashirama for five years, married for nearly four. The village she had heard so much about from him so long ago is nearly complete; it is called Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and it is enormous. There are clan compounds everywhere, as well as shops and civilian homes. The compounds are still being worked on, as is the Academy.

It's a novel concept, an Academy. It's meant to teach children, both from clans and civilian families, to become ninjas, instead of clan children being taught by their respective clans and civilian children growing up to be civilians, when some of them certainly must dream about joining the ranks of the village's shinobi. It also serves the purpose of clan children learning more than just what their clans teach: some focus on certain areas of techniques, and while most will specialize in those, there's always one or two that don't excel in those areas, but in others, and the Academy will help them shine as well.

Originally it had been Tobirama's idea, proposed at a meeting of the heads of the clans that had joined Konoha, with herself and Tobirama being included due to their ties to Hashirama. She had seconded it almost immediately—she thought it was an excellent idea, herself—and Uchiha Madara, surprisingly, had as well. Soon enough, there was a building being built for it, and they were attempting to sort out who would teach there.

She'd been amazed when she'd gotten here at how many clans there were in Konoha; there were the Senju and the Uchiha, of course, but the Hyuuga had joined them, as had the Inuzuka, Aburame, Shimura, and Akimichi. There were a few Uzumaki about, too; they'd come out to see what the village was like, and ended up staying. Mito had thought that with that many different clans about, there would be fights within days, but it isn't like that.

It's peaceful, held together by Hashirama's strong will as the Hokage, leader of the village, though also by the dream he and Madara had shared. She likes it here, immensely; it's so nice, seeing more than just her own clan wandering the streets.

It's almost like home.

.

.

When Uzumaki Mito is thirty, she seals a demon into her belly with a seal she made herself.

It started out as animosity between Madara and the rest of his clan; he hadn't wanted to stay, while they did. Then they voted him out of the position of clan head, and from there it had spiraled down, to the point of now.

She stands, watching, her chest heaving as she breathes. Madara and Hashirama have just had the fight of a lifetime, each pulling out their best tricks; Hashirama's being a wooden dragon, controlled with his unique Kekkei Genkai, and Madara's being the Nine-Tailed Beast. When he'd summoned that, Mito had been glad she'd followed along, hidden from her husband and his rival. While Madara held control over it for now, she knew it would not be long before Hashirama pulled it away from him.

That was why she'd started on a seal there in the forest, on her knees and scribbling away; there would only be one chance, and it had to be perfect, just as her father taught her. And when it happens—Hashirama using his Wood Style to wrest the Nine Tails from Madara, and then pinning Madara himself with another move—she slams her hand on the seal that she's transferred to her belly.

Everything from there seems to happen in slow motion: the Nine Tails is sucked, vortex-like, into the seal, and she moves her brush to complete it, to keep it from escaping. Hashirama moves to finish off Madara; he doesn't know where it's gone, she can tell by the look on his face, but this is the perfect chance to finish off the Uchiha, save Konoha.

And she watches as he dies. Then Hashirama sees her, leaning against a tree with her shirt pulled up to show a seal on her stomach, and rushes over. His face is the last thing she sees before she blacks out.

.

.

Over the next fifty years, she watches Konoha grow. Hashirama dies when she is fifty-five, he sixty, in battle, and she is left alone, though with children, now. Their only child has two of his own, Tsunade and Nawaki, and she watches them grow, going through the now finished Academy.

She sees two more leaders of Konoha: Tobirama takes over ten years before Hashirama dies, and he rules well into the Second Shinobi World War. He dies in the midst of it, a sacrifice so his team could escape back to Konoha. He appoints one of them, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as Hokage just before, and the other five swear witness to her when they return.

She sees great shinobi rise, most notably the Sannin, made up of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and her own granddaughter, Tsunade. There is Hiruzen, of course, who was the sensei of the Sannin; and the five who had been with him when he was appointed Hokage on that night in the war. There's Shimura Danzo, Akimichi Torifu, Utatane Koharu, Mitokade Homura, and Uchiha Kagami. She also sees several promising children in the Academy in the years before her death—there's Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Mikoto, Hyuuga Hiashi, Hyuuga Hizashi, and many more.

The most notable of these, though, is a young Uzumaki girl, with hair as red as hers had been and wide gray eyes named Kushina. She comes to Konoha after Uzushiogakure falls in the Third Shinobi World War, in a flood of refugees, but also for another reason: even before that, they had planned to bring her here to become the next jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails. She will be the next host of it, as Mito's health is declining, even with her heritage, and they can't risk the Nine Tails escaping, so they need a new jinchuuriki.

Mito's last words are directed to her, just before they begin the process.

"Do not be afraid, Kushina. Fill yourself with love, and it will all be okay."


	5. the five tails

HEY PEOPLE READING THIS! Be up to date on the manga before reading this author's note, there's a spoiler for the latest chapter in there.

Damn it's been a while since I posted something. Anyone who's actually been following this, sorry about that—I've had terrible writer's block when it comes to this. I still do, in fact, but I forced myself to write this just so I could finally update and prove I'm alive and still writing and haven't forgotten about this story and fanfiction. It's short, but at least it's something, right?

Also—what the hell on the newest chapter, as according to a panel in it Rin (Kakashi & Obito's teammate, for those who don't know) was a jinchuuriki, at least for a bit. Guess I'm including her later on, since she was a jinchuuriki according to the newest chapter and we barely know anything about her and just because I say so, but for now we'll be focusing on… let's see, I think we'll do Han today, who is the jinchuuriki of the Five-Tailed Beast.

..Wait a second I actually swore up there. Funny. I think that's the first time I've sworn while writing fanfiction, which is odd, because I actually tend to swear a lot. Possibly expect it in the future. Anyways, on with the story.

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own Naruto.

.

.

.

It's sunny in Iwagakure the day they seal the Five-Tailed Beast for the third time. It's sealed into a boy, maybe a year old—they're not sure exactly how old, just that he is the right age. His name is Han, and he is an orphan; his parents recently died in the war, leaving him without family, and that is the principal reason they choose him. He is without ties, except for a distant relation to the Tsuchikage, as is normal for jinchuurikis, and that makes him perfect.

The weather, too, is oddly perfect; Iwagakure rarely has weather this nice, and with a war in progress, it is even more appreciated—a spot of bright in their cold, dark world. Another piece of happiness is that they will have a new jinchuuriki soon, someone to harness the power of the Five Tails and turn the tide of the war.

Iwagakure is happy—or, at least, as happy as they can be—the day that a series of lines is etched on Han's inner left forearm and a chakra demon is sealed; the day his fate is also sealed, to live through hatred and be a tool to win a war, and, someday, in a long, long time, become a victim of Akatsuki's members.

.

.

When Han is six, he graduates the Academy. It is sooner than he should, really, but this is war and they need soldiers, always need them. That is why they graduate Han and his class four or so years earlier than they really should, so that they can become a part of this war too.

He isn't put on a genin team—instead, they train him separately, as they have the last few years, so that he can learn the powers of the Five Tails, learn to use them and fight for Iwagakure, hopefully win the war they've fought for years. It comes surprisingly easy to him—the steam defeats his enemies easily, and though he hasn't killed anyone yet he knows that if he pushes it just a bit further, he could, with no problem.

They're all terrified of him.

It's almost comical, really; seeing grown men and women, hardened shinobi of Iwagakure, running in the streets from a child. Han understands why they do, to a point—he is a jinchuuriki, a demon container, and they are afraid of the demon. Why they are afraid of him, though, a different entity entirely from said demon, he doesn't understand.

He thinks that he never will, really—he'll never have the chance to look at a jinchuuriki and not understand their plight, and as such, he'll never have the chance to be one of those running in fear.

.

.

When he is twelve, the Five Tails tries to speak to him for the first time. Han ignores it, completely; he is of the idea that if he speaks with it, he will be just as much a demon.

It doesn't make sense, he knows, somewhere in the back of his mind, the part that he doesn't ever listen to. He doesn't particularly care if it makes sense or not, though—it's what he thinks, and he's sticking to it.

He's seen plenty of hatred in the last six years, enough to last him a lifetime when his isn't even half over. To him, he is not human; that is what they say, after all, and though he sees himself as a different being than the demon, he does not see himself as human either. He is something less, but also something more; he's not sure, really. It's fuzzy.

Han does know, however, that he rather despises humans. Though he tried not to, truly did, it didn't stick; humans, humanity, all of it, he loathes. It's most likely not healthy, to hate them so strongly, but he doesn't particularly care about that either. It's been his way of life for four years now, since he was eight, and will be for a long, long time.

.

.

At twenty, Han has struck out from Iwagakure. He did so at eighteen, and has wandered since. Officially, he is still a shinobi of his birth village, though inactive; they let him go on the condition he stay loyal to the village. He'd agreed, and now here he is, slogging through Kirigakure in thick leather boots and deep red armour. It's not fun, but it's exhilarating, seeing the world around him. Iwagakure was never like this; dry land and barely any vegetation, a dry heat that seeped into everything and everywhere.

It's humid here, amazingly so. The trees are two, three, almost four times his height, which is impressive, considering how tall he is. Birds and spiders and slugs and all other kinds of animals crawl and fly about, which is only partially new. He saw animals in Iwagakure, though not too much more than birds.

It's a refreshing experience, really. He's away from the hatred he'd been drowning in for years, and on his own, travelling wherever he pleases. He's been around Konohagakure a bit—though not too close, because he doubts they wouldn't recognize him—and to Kumogakure, and now he's in Kirigakure. His next stop is going to be Sunagakure, he thinks, just so he can say he's been to all five of the major countries. After that, he's not sure where he'll go next.

The best part of that, at least to him, is that he doesn't care.

.

.

When he is thirty-two, the Akatsuki find him. After a long, long fight, they finally take him prisoner, off to have the Five Tails extracted.

It's painful, excruciatingly so. His thoughts are blurry throughout the process, which both helps and doesn't. For one, he can't think about the pain; but it also makes the pain that much clearer.

His only regret, really, is that he never knew the demon sealed inside of him. He wishes that when he was twelve, that he'd spoken with it, learned more, and perhaps then he might have won the fight with the Akatsuki, by having a greater partnership with the beast.

That is his last thought—that he should have done more to know the beast.


	6. the three tails

I feel like such a bad author lovelies I'm sorry. I finally made myself sit and write this, and I'll hopefully have another chapter for you in the next few days. This chapter is Yagura, the jinchuuriki of the Three Tails. Also, I have to say, I'm actually quite happy with how this turned out. Enjoy! c:

P.S. I'm really so so sorry I feel bad for not having updated in forever. :c

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

.

.

.

It rains—pours, really—on the day that the beast with three tails is sealed into a small child. His hair is pale and blonde, his eyes purple and as bright as his hair is pale. His name is Yagura, and he is one and a half years old. His parents have given him over willingly to become the jinchuuriki of the Three-Tailed Beast, and they take him back into their home just as willingly when the process is complete, once an ink seal is traced up and around his left shoulder.

It is uncommon for anyone to do this; jinchuuriki are demon containers, and seen as demons themselves, though it is not true; the mind of the beast is held away from that of the jinchuuriki, leaving them two separate creatures, even if they bond, which is rare.

It is the first of ways that Yagura is different from the other jinchuuriki.

.

.

He graduates at the age of eight years, and becomes a chuunin soon afterwards. He's turned out to be able to perform all of the three main ninja arts—ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu—and ones that aren't as well known too. He's shown a surprising proficiency in fuuinjutsu, the art of sealing, and it helps his status as jinchuuriki immensely. Even at eight, he knows much of it, and it helps to keep the seal steady.

Even at eight, he is a prodigy, well on his way to becoming the next sealing master of Kirigakure (the previous one, who had sealed the Three Tails into him, died two years ago. Yagura had mourned his passing; he had often come by the house to check on him, and it had been him who had started Yagura on the art of sealing.) He is also well respected, at least for his age, an oddity for his age. He has heard stories of jinchuuriki in other villages, how they are hated, and he knows to be grateful for it.

He also tells himself that, if there is ever another jinchuuriki of Kirigakure while he still lives, they will not have that experience either.

.

.

At thirteen, the Three Tails speaks to him for the first time. It is not because of a conspiracy, or to ask to be let free; no, it is only to offer a suggestion of help. He is bent over a scroll, working on a seal that he just can't seem to properly finish.

_"You're curving the top part of the seal too much. Bring it back to the left a bit, and it will work."_

That is what he hears in his head, and he knows instinctively that it is from the Three Tails. While he does wonder why the beast is helping him with a seal, he does as it says, and it works. To be honest, he isn't surprised. The Tailed Beasts have been around a long time, and he supposes they've all picked up bits and pieces of the ninja arts.

_"You're quite right about that. The Sage, for one, is where we found some of our knowledge; and, of course, our previous containers have helped. Even pressed here, kept away from the bulk of your minds, we do pick up snippets."_

That is when the barriers between himself and the beast begin to break down. Neither of them realize it at the time, but it will lead to their downfall.

.

.

When he is twenty, he is named Mizukage.

For the last seven years, he and the Three Tails have grown closer, and now, he has learned to harness its power fully, becoming a near unstoppable force. Simply on his own he is formidable; with his own powers combined with that of the Three-Tailed Beast, he is invincible.

He faces his first challenge as Mizukage exactly ten days after being named the successor to the Third. The Six-Tailed Beast is close to breaking its bonds, the seals that hold it inside a simple container, and they must seal it. It leaves him with no choice; he has to create a new jinchuuriki.

He calls for another sealing master—Mizukage or not, he will have as little a part in this as he can—and the child is brought to a room with a solid four walls, patterns of seals drawn on each. ANBU stand guard, and he goes off slightly out of the village limits for the night. He had considered going farther out, but had figured it would be good to stay near the village.

He is right to do so.

The sealing does not go well: the Six Tails breaks through the seals holding it earlier than expected, and rampages. The sealing master and the ANBU are all killed instantly; somehow, miraculously, the child (Utakata, he believes is the name) survives. His family, along with a good number of Kirigakure's citizens, does not; the Six Tails kills many in its rage, and would have gone on to destroy all of the village and then the rest if Yagura had not arrived.

Between his own power and that of the Three-Tailed Beast (its name is Isobu, he has learned, though he does not share this with anyone), they easily subdue the Six Tails. They seal it temporarily, and then return to the child. He himself seals the Six-Tailed Beast, pouring both his own chakra and some of the Three Tails into it to ensure its strength.

He leans down to whisper to the child as the process is completed. Ten simple words that he thinks will make no difference, that the child will not remember (he is wrong, in fact; Utakata remembers these words until his dying day). "Do not be afraid. Be strong, for all of us."

(Yagura also ends up taking the boy to live with him in the Mizukage compound. He refuses to leave him to face the world alone; and, with the destruction and chaos that followed the Six Tails' rampage, he will not be liked. He'll be safer in the compound and, while he doubts he'll be able to do too much, even as Kage, he'll shield him as well as he can.)

.

.

When he is thirty-three, he dies.

It is not from being captured by an enemy group (no; in fact, the Akatsuki are not known as evil at the time of his death. It is only after that they rise to power and, while they will eventually take the Three-Tailed Beast for their own, it will not be from his body.), and not natural, either.

It is from having Isobu extracted. While he had not wanted to do so—the Three-Tailed Beast had become his closest confidante over the years, and their power blends seamlessly, as do their thoughts—he has no choice. Isobu agrees with him, and they arrange it together, breaking free of the control temporarily to order it.

There has been a man controlling them, both of them, ordering the purges and other things; the village is known as the Bloody Mist, and Yagura has watched it all from a hazy veil. He has been shoved back, his mind effectively taken over, and unable to escape without help. It is a fluke that he manages to make contact with Isobu, that they can make a plan, that they break free.

Just as he is making the order, his jonin chief walks in. He has discovered the truth as well, and he backs up the order; they are not listening to him, because he seems so different, but the word of the jonin commander finalizes it.

It pours on the day that Isobu is extracted as well. They have a brief contact before it all goes black—it goes like this:

_Isobu. Thank you, for all of the years. Live well._

_It is I who should be thanking you. The control will be gone now, from both of us, thanks to your orders. May your death be a peaceful one._

Then, there is a thought from both of them, at the same time, just before it goes black. It is the same three words, at the exact second each other says them.

_Truly, thank you._


End file.
